As someone who is partial to card-based roguelikes, having given huge chunks of my life toSlay the SpireandInscryption, it was only a matter of time before the same happened withBalatro. I was a little skeptical that a video poker format could hold my attention for hours on end, but 200+ hours and countless games later,Balatrocemented itself as one of my all-time favorites.
Slay the Spire 2 Announced at Triple I Initiative
A Slay The Spire 2 Announcement headlined the Triple I initiative today, as Mega Crit Games announced a sequel to the acclaimed roguelite deckbuilder
I’m still awaiting my World Series of Poker bracelet, but one good thing that has come out of this huge time sink is that I know this game inside out, and knowwhich Jokers inBalatroare most likely to see you over the line and beat Ante 8 time and time again. So, let’s take a look at the best Jokers in the pack!
Just to clarify, we will be choosing Jokers that are consistent above all else. This essentially means that all choices below are good for runs where you are looking to clear Ante 8, but these choices aren’t necessarily the best for Endless Runs.
10Abstract Joker
+3 Mult for each Joker card
This Joker, in my eyes, is the absolute epitome of ol' reliable. In pretty much any run, unless I have a very well-established multiplier Joker in play, I will grab this one almost without thinking. This Joker gives the player 3x mult for every Joker on deck, and considering the fact that, in most cases, you’ll want to have all five spaces filled anyway, it makes this one an easy one to fit into any build. Then, maybe if you’re lucky enough to get a Negative Joker you could up this to 18x or 21x.
Unlike a lot of the multiplier Jokers on the roster, this one doesn’t require you to meet certain criteria or play a particular type of hand. The only downside is that you can’t build your multiplier, but 15x mult is nothing to be sniffed at, making this a decent option, especially in the early rounds.
9Invisible Joker
After 2 rounds, sell this card to Duplicate a random Joker
InBalatro,there are some Jokers that have amazing effects, and if you may get Polychrome versions of them, then all the better. But when you have a particular Joker, there are only a handful of ways to duplicate these Jokers to really lean into their effects. Showman is a good option, as is the Spectral Card, Ankh. But the most consistent and easiest to integrate into a run is the Invisible Joker.
It’s a bit of a risk-and-reward Joker, as it will ask you to carry a Joker with no effect for two rounds. But, if you can weather that storm, you’ll then be able to sell the Invisible Joker and duplicate a random Joker in your possession. So, provided you have an amazing Joker, you can sell the rest and guarantee you get the one you want, and then rebuild from there. In the later rounds, it can be harder to make this one work, but if luck is on your side, this can be a game-changer.
8Supernova Joker
Adds the number of times poker hand has been played this run to Mult
When it comes to early game multiplier Jokers, you tend to either be an Abstract Joker person or a Supernova person, and I tend to fluctuate between the two. Supernova is a great multiplier Joker that can be gradually improved over time, usually without having to alter your playstyle at all. The way this one works is it gains one mult for every time you have played a particular hand.
So, for example, if you play a flush ten times, you’ll get a 10x mult. If you’re someone who tends to play without building into a particular hand type, then this might not be for you. But if you are like me, and you tend to lean into flush and high card more often than not, this Joker will serve you very well.
7Dusk Joker
Retrigger all played cards in final hand of the round
There’s a duality to the Dusk Joker, as it can be used as an incredible way to make your final hand rack up points beyond belief. But it can also be used as a bit of a safety net when your initial hands don’t do the business. This Joker allows the player to re-trigger all the cards played in your last hand, and if used wisely, this can turn an average hand into a hand that could generate millions of points.
The best way to make use of this Joker is by equipping your cards with card effects like Multipliers and Chip boosts, as well as Poly, Foil, and Holographic effects. Then, if you may add Red Seals to them, too, then things really get crazy. It does mean that you’ll essentially be banking on your last hand every single time, which can be stressful, but with enough card effects, you’ll breeze through every time.
6Smeared Joker
Hearts and Diamonds count as same suit, Spades and Clubs count as same suit
This one definitely comes from my own personal bias, as I tend to leaninto flush buildsalmost by default. But to be fair, a lot of players in theBalatrocommunity do the same, so I know I’m not alone in my love for the Smeared Joker. This Joker pretty much doubles your chances of having a flush in your hand at any time, as it makes all black suits count as the same suit, and vice versa with the red suits.
The downside of this Joker is that it is pure utility, which means that it won’t add to your score. But for the consistency it brings and the peace of mind it provides, it serves as a major ally for fans of flush builds. Just remember though, it’s pretty useless on the Checkered Deck and the Erratic Deck. So don’t waste your cash on this one when playing those decks.
5Gros Michel/Cavendish
Gros Michel: +15 Mult (1 in 6 chance this is destroyed at the end of round.)
Cavendish: (X3 Mult) 1 in 1000 chance this card is destroyed at the end of round
Getting a consistent multiplier Joker is essential and while Jokers for the moment have their place, consistency is always preferred. The exception, however, is Gros Michel, which gives the player a 15x Multiplier with no criteria to achieve whatsoever. But the catch is that there is a 1 in 6 chance that it could be destroyed at the end of the round.
Best Hades 2 Arcana Cards
Channel the spirits to make your runs go the distance
So, with the inevitable destruction of this card, why would I list it as a consistent Joker? Well, because when it’s active, Gros Michel is a great multiplier Joker. Then, when it is destroyed, you gain the possibility of getting its upgraded version, Cavendish, which offers an X3 Mult, with a 1 in 1000 chance of being destroyed, so you can really bank on Cavendish for your whole run.
The downside is that you will need to adapt when Gros Michel is destroyed, but to get Cavendish into the Joker pool, it’s more than worth it.
4Satellite
Earn $1 at end of round per unique Planet card used this run
When it comes to economy Jokers, there are some good options like Cloud 9 and Rocket, but my pick of the bunch is Satellite. This is because it has comparable earning potential to Rocket, but unlike Rocket, it doesn’t necessarily take quite as long to achieve that potential. The way this joker works is that it gains $1 for every different planet card that you use during the run.
This means that this has a max earning potential of $12 per hand, and considering how many ways there are to get Planet Cards in bulk, like the Celestial Joker, or through Tarot Cards which offer two at a time, this can quickly turn into a cash cow. You will need to earn $400 in a run to unlock this Joker, but when you do, you’ll rarely struggle to make cash ever again.
3Ancient Joker
Each played card with [suit] gives X1.5 Mult when scored, (Suit changes at end of round)
I think this is a Joker that doesn’t get as much love as it truly deserves, because it’s one that has carried me through a number of Gold Stake runs, and it doesn’t require a lot of setup to use effectively. The Ancient Joker will ask the player for a certain suit each round, and for every card scored, which is that suit, you’ll gain a 1.5X mult, which, when playing a flush build, can lead to some very strong scores even in the early rounds.
The jeopardy comes when you don’t have enough discards to ensure you can play the flush it’s asking for. But if you take some vouchers for extra discards, or gradually remove suits from your deck with tarot cards, you find that this Joker is extremely consistent. Plus, if you can add Red Seals to some cards, your score will soar. Occasionally your luck may be out with this strategy, but more times than not, this will take you all the way.
+250 Chips, -2 hand size
I already mentioned my love for High Card builds, and when working with these builds, there is no better way to generate chips than Stuntman. This card lowers your hand size by two, which realistically limits you to hand types that are three cards or less, but if you build into smaller hand types, the huge influx of chips makes this one well worth taking. Sure, you could use Hiker, or Bull to build chips over time, but the ‘right here, right now’ effect of Stuntman is much better for Ante 8 runs.
It completely takes care of the chip side of the equation, meaning you can focus on multipliers to get the most out of the chips that Stuntman provides. Fair warning, though, if you take this one, just verify you have enough cards in your hand to get through ‘The Psychic’ boss blind. Otherwise, it’s an instant loss. That exact thing may or may not have led to me internally screaming.
1Blueprint/Brainstorm
Brainstorm: Copies the ability of leftmost Joker
Blueprint: Copies the ability of the Joker to the right
Then, in our top spot we have both Blueprint and Brainstorm. We’ve paired these together because, while they are technically different, they are effectively two sides of the same coin. Both of these Jokers allow you to duplicate the effect of a Joker in your current build. InBalatro, being able to double down on Jokers is just about the best thing you can do. So, I say this with no exaggeration. If you have the cash, always, and I mean always, buy Blueprint and Brainstorm.
The ability to duplicate effects of Jokers is phenomenal, and the fact that you may re-jig your Joker layout to change which Joker gets this treatment makes these Jokers even more helpful and versatile. You will need to win a game and discard a Royal Flush to unlock Blueprint and Brainstorm, respectively. But when you do, you exponentially increase the chance of winning each and every game, making these the best and most consistent Jokers in the game.
